Drinking Case Says Parents To Blame

Another holds vigil over a hospital bed where their son lies in a coma.

Yet another set of parents faces jail time and a $500 fine, accused of hosting a house party for their teenage sons, then throwing out two drunken 17-year-olds who crashed as they drove home.

In a case thought to be the first of its kind in the state, Enrique and Yasmin Valcarel pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to a misdemeanor charge of knowingly allowing minors to possess and consume alcohol at their Miami home. Prosecutors invoked a little-known Florida statute covering "open house parties," intending to send a strong message to other parents who might provide alcohol to teens in their homes.

Still, the victims' parents say the charges are little punishment for the heartbreak the Valcarels caused.

"This has destroyed our lives," said Betty Sanchez-Agramonte, whose son Michael died in the June 13 crash. "It's not fair for them to get a slap on the wrist. If parents are going to allow kids to drink in their homes, they need to be responsible if a kid gets drunk."

Though statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that the number of young drivers in fatal crashes involving alcohol has dropped nationally from 4,393 in 1982 to 1,714 in 1998, the numbers remain troubling, some say.

"There's a reason the law's in place," said Susan Isenberg, president of the Miami-Dade chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. "The consequences are so grave and so awful."

Isenberg said the Valcarels' case should set a precedent in the state, where MADD organizers are pushing legislation that would require consumers to register their names and addresses when they purchase a keg in an effort to keep adults from buying alcohol for underage drinkers.

Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office spokesman Ed Griffith said the couple's prosecution is expected to set an example about the serious implications of adults contributing to underage drinking.

Gabriel Maynoldi and Michael Sanchez-Agramonte were both juniors at Archbishop Coleman F. Carroll High School, celebrating the end of the school year the night of the crash. Maynoldi was a soccer player who practiced the martial art jujitsu. Sanchez-Agramonte was a popular basketball player who made Homecoming Court during his freshman and sophomore years.

Investigators said Maynoldi was driving more than 100 mph when he lost control of his white Acura, crashing into a tree. The impact split the car in half, killing Sanchez-Agramonte instantly and ejecting Maynoldi.

Miami-Dade County detectives charged Enrique Valcarel, 48, and his wife, 41, after a seven-month investigation, concluding the couple knew underage kids were drinking alcohol in their home.

Betty Sanchez-Agramonte said the least the Valcarels could have done was call the teens a cab. Instead, the couple threw the pair out after they got into an argument with another partygoer, police said.

"Michael was so drunk, they had to carry him to the car," his mother said. "Thank God he was asleep the whole time, and he did not know what happened."

The Sanchez-Agramontes have sued the Valcarels in civil court, and the Maynoldis plan to do the same, their lawyers said on Wednesday.

"We haven't even received a phone call to see how our son is doing," said Olga Maynoldi, who visits her son's bed at Jackson Memorial Hospital every day.

The Valcarels were not in court on Wednesday, but presented a not guilty plea through their attorney, who would not speak about the case. The couple has an unlisted number and could not be reached for comment.

Another woman, Christynn Vazquez, 21, is being charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor for allegedly purchasing the alcohol for the party. Vazquez, who pleaded not guilty through her attorney earlier, is scheduled to appear in court again in February. The Valcarels have another hearing in March.

Armando Sanchez-Agramonte said though the case cannot bring his son back, it can call attention to the issue of underage drinking.

"My son's already dead," he said. "We're hoping we could at least get the average person to know this has got to stop."

Diana Marrero can be reached at dmarrero@sun-sentinel.com or 305-810-5005.